Chats Between Side Characters
by Zabbie Q
Summary: [One shot] Espresso discusses his role in the show with Buffy.


Espresso had never actually looked like a real Settebello. When Espresso had first rolled onto the stage of the Apollo Victoria, John Napier had put him in a red-and-white ensemble with an Italian flag atop a chest piece that said VIA, rather than anything close to the Settebello's cream with green stripes. However, none of the Nationals resembled their real-life counterparts, so it had not mattered. A few years later, the Australian tour and the Bochum production had made greater efforts to make Bobo and Hashamoto look like an actual TGV and Shinkansen, but it had taken even less pains to make Espresso resemble anything that had rolled on Italian lines. In those shows he had a costume that relied solely on primary colors, a yellow suit with a strange match of blues and reds on his joints. He had not complained though. That was just how life went for fictional characters.

However, the ice production took the cake. Espresso supposed that Frank Krenz had tried to make his creations look as distinct from Napier's designs as possible. He could respect an attempt at artistic integrity. Still, Espresso could not help a good-natured chuckle as he swapped his yellow apparel and wheels for an armor-like purple suit and ice skates. It had a painted Italian flag wrapped around his front like a toga (unfortunately, from the front, the flag appeared backwards). A red-white-and-green bandana wrapped around his head, and four green wheels with red spokes lined each of his leg. His elongated helmet had a tiny opening for him to look through that was supposed to be a train window, but it looked nothing like the observation compartment a real Settebello driving car would have.

As he inspected himself in the dressing room mirror, Espresso wondered if he should have mentioned to someone years ago that the Settebello had been a luxury train, but when had a production staff member ever taken an ensemble character seriously?

Now properly clothed, Espresso migrated to the white ice rink, deciding to get used to his new skates while the cast waited for the rehearsals to start. Normally, he stuck to the theater in Bochum since it was more comfortable, but he had been curious about the ice show in America. Occasionally, the fictional characters in Webber musicals filled in for the human actors, often during understudy performances, and the fans never knew the difference. Espresso remembered attending a Broadway performance of CATS when Mr. Mistoffelees actually improvised with making a few kittens levitate, and he had been the only member in the audience to notice that the furry characters had not been wearing any harnesses.

The skate rink had a few others already, two women and one man, and since these were in costume instead of warm-up gear, he assumed they were also trains instead of the normal actors. However, he couldn't recognize any of them, although he was pretty sure the man in a red-and-blue outfit similar to his own was a National. The women might have been coaches; both wore dresses, one brown and one blue, but Espresso decided to wait to approach them. He still needed to make sure he could skate in this new costume, and there was no point in drawing attention to himself if he fell on his face two seconds later.

After wobbling his way to the rink's edge, Espresso put an experimental skate upon the white surface, and he stepped his way a few feet before he got the hang of it - after all, he had spent his whole life on roller skates, and the basic concept was the same.

After taking a few more confident strides, he decided to warm up with a few laps. The blue National skated on the other end, and the woman in the strange brown outfit had linked herself to his coupling loops, but the coach in the blue dress unhitched from the brown carriage and started to skate toward Espresso.

She gave him a smile as she neared, smoothing back her black wig. " _Buongiorno_ , Espresso," she purred in a familiar voice.

Espresso returned the grin. " _Buongiorno_ , Buffy," he grinned. "How are you?"

The buffet car fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "Busy looking like Betty Rubble from _Flintstones on Ice_ ," she said, wincing at her costume.

"At least it looks like a train," he offered. "...A little." It was certainly an interesting choice. Buffy's black hair had been styled into a swirl around a tiny cylinder vase with a pink flower, complete with a napkin tiara, and her blue bodice had been tufted like a piece of furniture. Her skirt was little more than a metal wheel around her hips with a lace fabric stretched atop like a drum and hanging down like valance on curtains, complete with little food items. Her legs were bare, but her skates had two wheels on either side of each eyelet.

"If you say so," Buffy cracked, pirouetting on her skate blade. "This thing shows off more skin than Dinah's Vegas costume."

"I'm not complaining," grinned Espresso.

She gave him a playful smirk. She then put one hand on her hip, bending her other elbow as she were holding a plate - her habitual tic. "You know," she said, closing what little distance remained between them, "since this show is based on the London version, we're probably gonna be race partners again, Spress."

"It _has_ been a while," agreed Espresso, taking her free hand and pulling her along with him - the more he moved, the less likely he was going to lose balance on his narrow blades. "We haven't raced together since the Japanese tour, _si_?"

"Something like that," she grinned, entwining her bare fingers with his gloved ones. "Of course, if you came home to the Apollo Victoria once in a while, we could partner more often, Spress." She gave him a mock pout.

Espresso shrugged. "Germany has grown on me."

"Each to their own, I suppose. Ashley and Bobo prefer London too." She nodded to the other two on the ice, who were practicing making tight circles, and Espresso did a double take.

"Wow, Ashley looks… wow…"

Buffy snorted, her pretty eyes twinkling. "It's okay. We've all had our laugh. You know how laid-back Ash is."

Espresso gave an awkward smile. Although his character raced with the smoking car in the Bochum show, it had been over a year since he had seen the real Ashley. Now, she skated in a costume that looked like a cigarette girl, but with a yellowish-brown leotard, a wheel around her hip similar to Buffy's but with a very short skirt of brown lace, and opera gloves that resembled cigarettes that had ashtrays around her upper arms. Completing the look was a smoking pipe with gray fabric coming out of the bowl like smoke.

"This is going to be an interesting performance," he said at last.

Buffy chuckled before her expression changed. "Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. How's C.B.?" she asked. "I haven't seen him since… you know."

Espresso nodded. "Caboose is still Caboose," he said. "He hasn't left Germany since the London changes. He even refused to go to help out the Vegas show."

"Yeah," nodded Buffy. "At least he still had a role on stage when they dumped him. Poor Belle has done odd jobs around the R.U.G. office ever since they cut her part."

"Pendelino has the same problem," said Espresso grimly. "He's been helping the stage hands on _Phantom_ last I heard." Pendelino had been Espresso's aesthetic double in the Australian and Japanese tours: both had worn identical yellow costumes despite the fact that the Settebello and Pendolino were completely different models. "It's hard to find work for characters on roller skates."

"And if you're on ice skates," observed Buffy. She then leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I heard that they put two new Nationals in this show, a Canadian and a Mexican train. They're taking the place of Ruhrgold and Turnov. I wonder what the higher ups are gonna do with the four of them once this tour is done."

"Let's not think about it," Espresso replied quickly, picking up speed.

Yet as he guided Buffy around the rink, his mind flitted back to the grim prospects like a moth to a flame. Did new characters mean that old characters would be replaced if the tour was a success? Espresso had heard that the Mexican production had new characters as well, but he had not been invited to join that show, so he could only assume that his role had been replaced by some original National. If the higher-ups could remove fan favorites like C.B. and Belle, not to mention the extra Nationals from the Australia and Japan tours, it was not out of the realm of possibility that they might decide to bring their new Mexican and ice show characters to the German show.

"If they _did_ cut someone, who do you think it would be?" he asked quietly.

Buffy tightened her grip on his hand. "Well, I can't really say," she said, just as softly as they passed by Bobo and Ashley. The two partners seemed too absorbed in their twists and turns to give a thought to anyone else, which must have made Buffy comfortable enough to say, "They already took Princey out of some versions. It's not like you really _need_ him for the story."

"At least the Royal Train still runs," Espresso murmured. He looked down again at his purple suit. Even if it didn't look like his real-life train, why had Frank Krenz given him a costume while Turnov and Ruhrgold had been replaced? "I don't think anyone knows what a Settebello even is," he admitted.

"But you certainly strike a handsome figure," Buffy said, placing her free hand on his arm as she gave him a kind look.

Espresso made a face as they glided back toward the other end of the rink. "I only made it to the final in the Japan tour," he said flatly. "I don't even lose in an interesting way. Caboose never crashes me."

Buffy gently bumped her black hair against his shoulder. "Well, I think you add something to the show," she purred. "How many other luxury trains are as nice as you?"

Espresso grimaced again. "Nice ensemble characters don't really sell tickets."

The blue car gave him a playful swat. "Oh, you'll probably outlive all of us, sugar. I wouldn't sweat it." She then released his arm and moved behind him, grabbing the loops on his back. "C'mon, _signore_. Let's start practicing our big race scene together."

Espresso forced himself to smile. "As you wish, _bella mia_ ," he returned, and he picked up speed, soon getting lost in the movement of skating.

Maybe he was worried for nothing.

* * *

Two decades later, the 2017 workshop brought a fresh wave of changes. For starters, Poppa was now to be replaced by Mama, which meant that the Starlight Express would be female as well, and Bobo the TGV was succeeded by a female Coco. (However, Espresso could remember the deleted "Hitching and Switching" number from the original show where Joule and Wrench had voiced their willingness to race with partners of either gender, so it wasn't as if female engines could never have existed in their train world.) Other characters were completely replaced.

To his great surprise, Espresso was not one of them.

The day came when rehearsals began, and the train characters came to show their support and meet the newest creations. It was easy to tell which characters were leaving: they were the ones who still had roller skates on.

Decked now in regular shoes and street clothes, Espresso respectfully waited against a wall in the backstage area of The Other Place Theatre for Bobo and Ashley to finish talking with Madame Coco, the new (and younger) Belle, and Ashley's replacement, Tassita the quiet car. All Espresso knew thus far about Tassita was that she liked peace and quiet, so he decided to approach his new racing partner when the noise died down a little.

He scanned the area. Amidst the actors and stage hands he could see the Prince of Wales chatting with the newly created Brexit, and he spotted Electra and his components on one side. Krupp conversed with Kilowatt, perhaps giving his replacement tips to protect the E-lok. Electra himself leaned against a rectangular speaker with the old and new Voltas on either side, seeming quite satisfied with the arrangement. Although somebody had the idea to turn Volta into a man, the female Volta was not to say goodbye just yet. She would still be in the show as a race partner, and the higher ups would decide at the end of the workshop what they would do with the freezer's character in the Bochum show.

"If they want more 'girl power,' why would they change the gender of an existing female character?" remarked a voice at Espresso's side, and he turned his head to see Buffy standing next to him. The yellow buffet car rolled her eyes.

Espresso put a finger against his lips. "Shh, the production staff must never be questioned."

Buffy smirked. "What are they gonna do? _Sack_ me?" Her elbows bent in her signature tic, and she nodded toward the components. "Poor Volta and Krupp have put up with Electra for over thirty years, and this happens to them."

"At least their family can keep them company," remarked Espresso, thinking back to Volta 2 and Krupp 2.

"I think all the components can do better than Electra, if I'm honest," said Buffy out of the corner of her mouth. She then smiled, seemingly ready to change the subject. "Hey, have you met Tassi and Little Belle yet?"

Espresso shook his head. "I was waiting my turn."

Buffy scoffed, not unkindly. "C'mon, we're all family here." She grabbed his elbow and dragged him toward the small amiable group - a little awkward as Buffy still had wheels, and Espresso had not yet mastered moving quickly in his new shoes.

"...Monsieur Coco is still a good friend of mine," Bobo was in the middle of telling his replacement as Espresso and Buffy braked beside the group. "It is a good name that you have."

Madame Coco smiled back. "I shall do my best to live up to it."

Buffy cleared her throat, and Bobo and the other four women turned. "May I introduce the ever popular National, Signore Espresso?" she grinned, tugging on the Settebello's arm. "All the way from the Bochum theatre."

"Hey," said the younger Belle, fluttering her brown eyes in a way that reminded Espresso of Duvay, Ashley's previous replacement. "Who do you race with?"

"Probably Tassita," answered Ashley for the Settebello, and she gestured to the brunette quiet car, "but maybe they'll surprise us. I raced with Turnov that one time, you know."

The quiet car gave Espresso a sweet-natured smile. "How do you do?" she said in a soft voice as she shook his hand.

" _Buongiorno_ ," Espresso returned.

Little Belle linked arms with Madame Coco. "Guess we'll probably race together then," she grinned at the TGV. "Don't think we'll go easy on you just 'cause you're a guy, Espresso."

They all shared a laugh.

"If the workshop works out," said Buffy, "you guys will probably be moved to Bochum. Espresso can tell you all about it."

Coco and Belle nodded, but Tassita's brown eyes became troubled. The quiet car bit her lip. "What if they don't like us? What if they drop us before we ever get into the real show?"

The other two replacements exchanged uncomfortable looks.

Ashley suddenly reached out and took her hands. "Do your best," she told her. "Duvay only lasted for one production, but she works for a hotel now and says she's found her niche. There's plenty of us who have found work outside the theater, and we look out for each other. We'll help you land on your wheels."

The younger character gave the smoking car a smile, and Espresso thought she looked more confident. "Thanks."

It was then that the human cast was called to start the rehearsal. The seven train characters, on wheels and flat feet, made their way to the theater to find their seats.

* * *

The human cast were allowed to take five, and a few the characters rose on Espresso's right. The Settebello saw that Bobo, Ashley, and Buffy grip the handrails of the right-hand staircase and climbed on wheels toward the theater entrance. The Settebello jumped to his feet, just barely avoiding a tumble over the seat in front of him which would have landed him in Brexit's lap, and he followed his friends as quickly as he could.

He reached the top of the stairs and jogged behind them as the two coaches linked behind Bobo and headed for the exit. "Hey, Buffy, wait!" he called.

The yellow carriage unhitched from Ashley, and Bobo slowed for her, but Buffy gave the TGV a smile. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Espresso halted beside her. "The rehearsal isn't over yet."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, but Original Belle is having us over for dinner tonight," she explained. "She's been helping Ash and me get in touch with a few CATS characters who know people who are hiring."

Espresso looked her over. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked softly.

Buffy gave a careless laugh and patted his arm. "Eh, don't worry about me, doll," she grinned. "You know I can take care of myself. You just enjoy yourself while this show runs, Spress, okay?" Then she raised herself to her front wheels and gave his cheek a kiss before she rolled away.

Espresso had a hollow feeling inside him as he returned to his seat. Out of all the Nationals, he was probably the least relevant and the easiest to replace, but still he was in the show, unchanged, while its titular character's gender was altered and the ladies who had been on the original soundtrack were removed. It was not as if the Settebello was that popular to the modern audience. He had access to Google in this modern age, and it was not as if he had found a deluge of fan sites dedicated to the historical train. He could understand updating Bobo with a new costume since his orange suit had long been obsolete, and he could understand changing the Royal Train to something new (even if he did not think the name "Brexit" worked). Yet, out of all the remaining Nationals, he was the oldest in a show where antique steamers fought to prove their relevance.

He leaned back and sighed as the rehearsal began again. Maybe Buffy was right. Maybe he should just enjoy his run while he still could. At least when he finally did get cut, he would have friends to help him find his place in the outside world.

THE END

Xxxx

I actually like the ice show's costumes. However, I thought that the canon characters might have their own opinions on them if they were self-aware.

In the webcomic, _When Curiosity Met Insanity_ (which is produced by two Disneyland cast members), there's a plot point where the Disney characters sometimes play themselves at the theme park, alternating with the normal character cast members. So, you can actually get your picture taken with Jack Sparrow without knowing it. The idea of the StEx characters playing themselves in understudy shows arose from that. :)

Yellow Settebello - interestingly enough, John Napier proved to be ahead of his time with Espresso's yellow costume. So where that costume was created in the 1980s, in 1991 a surviving ETR 302 was redecorated as "Treni del Sole" (Trains of the Sun) where its base was painted yellow with red and blue accents and suns and beach scenes. Yet would Espresso have access to that knowledge back in 1997 when the opening scene takes place?

"Don't think we'll go easy on you just 'cause you're a guy, Espresso." - Borrowed shamelessly from the "Brotherhooves Social" episode from _My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic_.

 **Edit 6/5/18** \- Tassita is officially out of the Bochum show and will be replaced by a character named Carrie. At least I got two fanfics with Tassi before she was cut. ;)


End file.
